1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to clips for aiding the dispensing of contents from a flexible wall tube wherein the clip includes tube retaining means for those portions of the tube emptied of the tube contents.
2. Description of the Related Art
Collapsible wall tubes have long been used to package paste goods and the like such as toothpaste, glue, beauty and hair preparation products, and the like. Initially, such collapsible wall tubes were formed of thin metal, and as the tube contents were utilized, the tube closed end was folded or rolled wherein the tube contents were forced into that portion of the tube adjacent the tube cap, and the length of the tube lessened as the contents were dispensed. The metallic construction of the tube permitted the tube closed end to maintain its deformed configuration as the closed tube end is folded or rolled as the tube contents are depleted.
In more recent years, many products are now packaged in flexible wall tubes formed of a synthetic plastic material. Such plastic tubes sometimes utilize metallic metal foil liners, but because of the resilient nature of the plastic tube material, the tube end cannot be rolled or folded as the product is dispensed and the tube end will not maintain the rolled or folded configuration once released by the user. Such plastic tubes tend to assume the original "full" appearance regardless of the amount of material within the tube. This self-shaping of the tube tends to draw air into partially emptied tubes which becomes troublesome during dispensing, and the user cannot visually determine the amount of product within the tube. Further, such plastic tubes are difficult to squeeze and completely empty, resulting in waste of an expensive product.
To improve the use of synthetic plastic flexible wall tubes, various devices have been proposed to aid in the squeezing of the contents from the plastic tube, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,159,787; 4,928,851; 5,071,036; 5,222,629 and 5,782,385. Also, devices have been proposed for gripping the empty end of the tube as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,442,839 and 5,549,221.
While the above mentioned patents aid in discharging the contents from a synthetic plastic tube by permitting the tube to be uniformly squeezed throughout its width, known devices have not been capable of both aiding in the dispensing of goods from a flexible wall plastic tube and also retaining the closed tube end from which goods have been removed. The use of a plastic tube clip which will retain the emptied closed tube end is highly desirable as such a device would make the tube more concise as it is being used, and will prevent the product from flowing into the tube end from which it has been dispensed.